Aching for Greatness

Ep. 6 Living on Mission featuring John Donahue

November 22nd, 2024  |  33 mins 6 secs

aching for greatness, alex and melissa dee, ave maria press, fr. simon esshaki, free catholic podcast, fsp, john donahue, kevin cotter, maclaine noah, manny gonzalez, sr. bethany, tanner kalina

Ep. 5 Prayer featuring Sr. Bethany Davis, FSP

November 20th, 2024  |  34 mins 23 secs

aching for greatness, alex and melissa dee, ave maria press, fr. simon esshaki, free catholic podcast, fsp, john donahue, kevin cotter, maclaine noah, manny gonzalez, sr. bethany, tanner kalina

The one, the only, Sr. Chelsea Bethany Davis, FSP is a powerhouse of humor and wisdom. With over a dozen years of religious life under her belt, she exudes what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

In today’s conversation, Sr. Bethany and Tanner discuss the crucial habit of prayer. We talk a lot about prayer as a Church, but do we recognize its absolute necessity for a healthy spiritual life? Are we willing to make it a priority in our lives? Prayer is as necessary as the air, as Mother Teresa once said. We know that without oxygen, our body will crumble. The same is true for prayer and our souls.

Ep. 4 The Sacraments featuring Fr. Simon Esshaki

November 18th, 2024  |  32 mins 17 secs

aching for greatness, alex and melissa dee, ave maria press, fr. simon esshaki, free catholic podcast, fsp, john donahue, kevin cotter, maclaine noah, manny gonzalez, sr. bethany, tanner kalina

Tanner and Fr. Simon Esshaki began creating TikToks around the same time four years ago. They have been social media friends for a while, but now they finally get to have an in-depth conversation! And what better topic to talk about than the sacraments?

In a fast-paced culture of convenience, we can slowly lose touch with the sacramental reality that we inhabit. Fr. Simon and Tanner tackle this while they discuss the slow-burning and completely transforming nature of the greatest gifts ever given:

• Baptism
• Confirmation
• The EUCHARIST
• Reconciliation
• Anointing of the Sick
• Holy Matrimony
• Holy Orders

And make sure to check out Aching for Greatness, published by Ave Maria Press if what you heard today intrigues you: www.avemariapress.com

Ep. 3 Fellowship featuring Alex and Melissa Dee

November 15th, 2024  |  37 mins 16 secs

aching for greatness, alex and melissa dee, ave maria press, fr. simon esshaki, free catholic podcast, fsp, john donahue, kevin cotter, maclaine noah, manny gonzalez, sr. bethany, tanner kalina

Host, Tanner Kalina, wrote an entire book about his conversion amidst a wild Hollywood career in Los Angeles. He even had an entire section dedicated to the power of fellowship – and he never once mentioned his best friends in Hollywood!

Was it a flub? Probably. Is he trying to make up for it? Absolutely.

Therefore, he dedicated an entire podcast episode to those best friends. Alex and Melissa Dee are the co-creators and showrunners for the popular podcast, Saints Alive, now on the Hallow app. Together with Tanner, they share stories from their Hollywood days and discuss the need for friendship. They also talk about how friendship is hard as an adult and how the saints model authentic friendship.

Ep. 2 Teaching of the Church featuring Manny Gonzalez

November 13th, 2024  |  41 mins 1 sec

aching for greatness, alex and melissa dee, ave maria press, fr. simon esshaki, free catholic podcast, fsp, john donahue, kevin cotter, maclaine noah, manny gonzalez, sr. bethany, tanner kalina

Admittedly, we haven’t had many role models to uphold in the Church when it comes to both human sexuality and homosexuality. Manny Gonzalez, therefore, is a much needed voice and an excellent role model for our day and age. His wisdom far exceeds his years.

In today’s conversation, Manny and Tanner dive into the Catholic Church’s teaching. Why are the teachings on chastity and sobriety so difficult? What do we do when we encounter a difficult teaching that rubs us the wrong way? What is the best mode of evangelization when it comes to sharing the teachings of the Church? We dive into each of these questions plus a whole lot more.

Ep. 1 Intimacy with the Lord featuring Maclaine Noah

November 11th, 2024  |  30 mins 22 secs

aching for greatness, alex and melissa dee, ave maria press, fr. simon esshaki, free catholic podcast, fsp, john donahue, kevin cotter, maclaine noah, manny gonzalez, sr. bethany, tanner kalina

Intimacy—with the Lord? It might sound unusual, but tune in to discover how it’s the only way to keep your heart from becoming a black hole within.

Maclaine Noah, a new mom, down-to-earth soul, and former FOCUS missionary like Tanner Kalina. For years, Maclaine has also been a leading voice in creating Catholic content on social media.

You can explore more of her work on Instagram at @‌acatholicconvo.

Teaser: Introducing the Podcast with Kevin Cotter

November 6th, 2024  |  9 mins 11 secs

aching for greatness, alex and melissa dee, ave maria press, fr. simon esshaki, free catholic podcast, fsp, john donahue, kevin cotter, maclaine noah, manny gonzalez, sr. bethany, tanner kalina

Listen to this teaser episode for the Aching for Greatness podcast to hear a brief overview of why the Gospel is not only the story of reality but the story that fulfills our deepest longings. And then stay tuned for Episode 1 of this mini series as we discuss intimacy with the Lord.

In this episode, Kevin Cotter joins us. Kevin wrote the introduction for Tanner Kalina’s book, Aching for Greatness, so it’s only fitting he joins us for the introduction of this mini podcast series. Kevin is the director of content at Hallow, so make sure to check out the Hallow app.

And make sure to check out Aching for Greatness, published by Ave Maria Press if what you heard today intrigues you: www.avemariapress.com